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ACLF is extending their CLP application deadline to Saturday, March 22. Please forward to your networks and encourage your contacts to apply. We can be reached at 206.625.3850 or aclfnw@aclfnorthwest.org for more information.

Promoting social, economic and political justice by training and supporting a strong, sustainable community of civically engaged leaders that reflects the diversity of local Asians & Pacific Islanders.

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APPLY NOW : ACLF's 2008 Community Leaders Program

Are you someone who has invested in long-term community service in the local Asian and Pacific Islander community, and is looking to develop her/his skills further? Someone who would like to invest in yourself to become a leader, but currently do not think of yourself in that way? Someone who would welcome the opportunity to learn about the history of our community from many of the people who made that history? ACLF is looking for emerging leaders in the Asian and Pacific Islander community to apply to our 2008 Community Leaders Program.

ACLF seeks to recruit people who represent the diversity of our community in terms of ethnic group, nationality/immigration status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, age, geographic location, and more. We also seek a mix of experience levels. Please forward this message on to help us recruit yet another wonderful class!

Here's what a few alumni have to say about the program:

Jeff Liang, Class of 2006, reflects positively on his experience: "The CLP program provided the foundation I needed to become a source of strength for my community. The lessons I learned and access to dedicated and influential people helped me create a network that I can use to help peers and community partners reach their goals. The CLP program makes leadership concrete."

Kendee Yamaguchi, Class of 2005, reports that "Within two months of graduating from the program, I returned ACLF?s investment in me to the community. I was able to apply the skills that I learned from the workshops to create informational packets, press releases, and solicitation letters for a local non-profit. Without ACLF?s training, I would not have been able to give back to the community in such an effective and meaningful manner.
From my experience, my commitment to the API community has grown even stronger. Not only am I more well-connected with the community, I have an amazing support network on a professional and personal level."

About the Community Leaders Program There are innumerable emerging leaders amongst us of all ages, cultures and walks of life. ACLF focuses on cultivating emerging Asian Pacific Islander leaders to strengthen our vital and complex community. We do not define "emerging" by age. Our class participants are chosen on a basis of their demonstrated commitment to community issues, desire to learn, and readiness to contribute to the group. They come from the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Our participants are a mix of first-generation immigrants and second-generation APIs and beyond.

ACLF provides training and support to help these individuals grow as effective leaders, be it as staff, board members, or volunteers in all three sectors. Our three-pronged approach fosters the development of individual leadership, community strength, and inter-community unity to promote issues critical to Asian Pacific Islanders:

Semi-monthly Workshops Participants develop skills for effective, values-based community leadership, such as public speaking and multicultural collaboration. Community leaders volunteer their time to teach these sessions. Participants build knowledge of API community issues through interaction with facilitators and with staff at each community organization that hosts a workshop session.

Networking and Mentoring Opportunities ACLF creates opportunities for participants to receive mentoring to help build the participants' networks in the API community. Participants also develop and follow-through on community leadership goals with their mentors. The opening, mid-year, and wrap-up retreats foster relationships among the participants, building a strong network that serves them in their future community work.

Community Project Each CLP class completes a project in service of a grassroots organization. In doing so they put into practice their leadership skills and values of community service and social justice. They also deepen their knowledge of a current issue in the API community. This is a significant component of the program that involves times outside of the semi-monthly workshops.

Program Objectives *To foster ethical, compassionate and self-reflective API leaders who promote greater social, economic, and political justice. *To build strong interpersonal relationships that promote communication, support, and accountability to each other and to the API community. *To strengthen inter-group collaboration through knowledge and understanding of diverse perspectives within the API community. *To cultivate leaders who value and practice coalition-building across all communities in order to benefit the community at large. *To build connections between the CLP class and the greater API community.

The Community Leaders Program requires a significant commitment of time, including attendance at the Opening Retreat on May 16 - 18 (May 16 is a half-day), workshops twice a month, a mid-year retreat, a wrap-up retreat, and the Graduation Dinner in early November. In addition, participants meet outside of these sessions to work on their community service project and to develop a relationship with their mentors. ACLF expects applicants, if accepted, to commit to full participation in these components, in order to ensure a quality experience for both the participant and the entire group.

Applications are due Saturday, March 22. More information at http://www.aclfnorthwest.org/clp.htm or contact Cherry Cayabyab at cherry@aclfnorthwest.org / 206-625-3850. Application form attached.Download 2008_clp_application_32208.pdf